Foremost suspects many of his Readers in recent days have been pondering when, and if, it is ever possible for a player to play two balls in match play.

Hmmm…

Certainly, a player in stroke play has the option to finish a hole with two balls if he questions the correct procedure he should follow under the Rules, and he complies with the notice and reporting provisions of R20.1c(3).

In match play, however, the two-ball option is not available for a rules dispute. If the opponents cannot agree upon the correct application of a rule, and a referee is unavailable, the player must play on as he deems fit (R20.1a), and the dispute must be resolved pursuant to a request for a Ruling. (R20.1b(2)).

Given this important and basic distinction in the forms of play, can a player ever play two balls in match play?

Facts

There was, perhaps, a bit of tension in the air as the players teed off on the difficult par 3 16th hole in a Three-Ball Match Play competition, a form of play in which each player plays an individual match against the other two players with each player using one ball.

Although player JS had a commanding lead in his two matches, players RM and F were neck and neck in their competition as F had made a bit of a run to start the back nine and get back in the match.

The players had all parred the 15th hole. JS had the honors, and his tee ball hopped into the front right bunker. F stepped up, and after carefully considering his club selection and the prevailing winds, launched an eight-iron directly at the hole. The ball came to rest eight feet past the hole, clearly F’s best shot of the day!

After JS complimented F on his fine shot, RM asked F if he was sure it had been his turn to play. He asked F to replay his shot, as F had played out of turn. F had to concede that it was RM’s turn to play, although he bristled in the realization that RM had stood close by without saying a word of warning, so as to position himself to take advantage of this Rule, should the situation warrant. (R6.4a, cancelling stroke).

F politely vented for a minute or two …. perhaps, a brief speech about the unsavory practice of gamesmanship; then perhaps another short speech, about the inherent conflict between the strict rule related to order of play, and the encouragement of “ready golf”…. but in the end, his arguments were ineffective and RM insisted he cancel and replay his shot.

F hit another tee ball, a shot which left him on the front fringe facing a 60-foot putt over a sharp ridge to a back-left pin placement.

As the players approached the green, it dawned on F that he had not played out of turn respective to JS in their match.

Issue

In light of the general rule that a player plays only one ball in match play, and given that his first tee ball shot had been cancelled by RM, was F now required to play his second tee shot against JS as well?

Ruling

In a three-ball match, if a player plays out of turn “in any match”, each player can ask him to cancel and replay his shot. Since F did not play out of turn in his JS match, this cancellation option was not available to JS.

Accordingly, F was required to finish the hole with his original tee ball in the JS match, and with the second tee ball in his RM match. So yes, there is an occasion where a player might play two balls in match play! (R21.4b).

As usual, all comments or corrections are welcome!

Respectfully submitted,
F